The proposed development is 'still viable' according to the developers

The planning appeals body overturned a decision by Limerick City Council last year to grant permission to a business consortium, Catherine Street Partnership, to develop an area along Catherine Street, Glentworth Street and Mallow Street. The plans include five floors with 55,000sq ft of commercial space, 5,500sq ft of offices and 5,000 sq ft retail space on the ground floor, as well as parking for 110 cars. The development would have resulted in 600 permanent jobs for the city, and a further 200 during the construction phase. An Bord Pleanála halted the plan following an objection by a single objector, a businessman who owns property in the area. The body’s own inspector approved the development, but the board upheld the objection due to concerns for the heritage of the area. A spokesman for the company said: "This is very disappointing news for us and, we believe, for Limerick. This was an important job-generating development project, fully in keeping with the city council’s own ambitions for urban renewal in this part of the city. "We were extremely diligent with regard to our heritage responsibilities and, even at this stage, feel that we could satisfy An Bord Pleanála and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, on any heritage concerns they may have." The spokesman added there is a desire among the partnership consortium that the project does not disappear. “The technical and design team are reviewing the An Bord Pleanála decision. The hope of the consortium is that the project can be viable and can go-ahead and the mechanisms to achieve that are currently being examined,” he added. He said a decision about the future of the project would be finalised within the coming weeks.